Notre Dame overcomes early deficit to win national title

CHESTER, Pa. — The only thing left for Harrison Shipp and Andrew O’Malley to accomplish was to win a national championship.

The Notre Dame seniors combined on the game-winning goal as the Irish rallied from an early deficit to beat Maryland, 2-1, and claim the program’s first College Cup Sunday afternoon at PPL Park.

O’Malley and Leon Brown tallied for Notre Dame (17-1-6) after Patrick Mullins scored a controversial opener for the Terrapins (17-4-5).

“I think we realized it was time for the program to take that next step,” the all-American Shipp said. “We thought the only logical place to do that was to reach the Final Four and win a national championship. To do it for this guy (coach Bobby Clark) is amazing. He’s probably the most underappreciated college soccer coach in the country in terms of lessons he teaches you on and off the field. I can tell you that I’m so much a better person and player now than I was 3 ½ years ago when I came in.”

O’Malley, who is from nearby West Chester, headed in Shipp’s 60th-minute free kick. It was his third goals of the season.

“It would have been tough for me to screw it up, I suppose,” O’Malley joked. “Harry played a great ball and all I had to do was redirect it to the back post. Zack Steffen, the goalie, is actually really good so as soon as I saw it go off my head I was a little worried he was going to get across to it. Luckily, it went in the back of the net.”

“Saved that goal for the right time,” quipped Irish coach Bobby Clark, who also won his first national title even though he had successful spells at Dartmouth and Stanford.

Mullins gave Maryland the lead in the 35th minute — although the shrouded in controversy — when smashed the ball into the net after Notre Dame failed to clear a corner

The Irish’s Patrick Hodan handled the ball on the line to keep out Alex Shinsky’s initial header and the rebound bounced out to Mullins, who also controlled it with his hand before lashing it into the net.

Mullins, who is expected to be a top-5 pick in the upcoming MLS Draft, was refreshingly honest.

“I’m very disappointed in myself for doing that,” Mullins said. “In the heat of the moment, I hit it down with my hand and like any good forward, I put it in the net. That’s not who I am and I’m very disappointed in how that play resulted. All I can control is my actions and I’m not happy with that action. It’s definitely hard for me to swallow because that’s not the type of player or person I am.”

Asked if he was fortunate not to get a red card, Hodan said, “I guess a little bit.”

“It was just kind of a reaction,” the Notre Dame sophomore added. “It wasn’t anything deliberate. It was just more of a reaction. It was closer to the shoulder I would like to say. They ended up scoring anyway, so it wasn’t too big of a deal.”

Five minutes later, the Irish equalized through freshman Leon Brown, who had come on for starting forward Vince Cicciarelli after he left the game with a broken collarbone.

Luke Mishu took a long throw-in that Nick Besler headed into the path of Brown, who was able to turn and beat Steffen at a tight angle.

“I think as a team, one of the mantras we have is to respond to things that happen in the game,” O’Malley said. “Not everything is going to go your way so you try to make sure you are mentally strong.”

Maryland pushed for an equalizer after going behind, but the Irish’s stout backline, anchored by O’Malley, never caved.

The best chance for the Terps was a hopeful 30-yard volley from Tsubasa Endoh that was off target. Mullins drove an 89th-minute free kick from 22 yards well wide as well.

“We shoot for the stars every year. We aim high. When you aim that high and you don’t reach, you still end up in the moon, which is higher than most people,” Maryland coach Sasho Cirovski said. “Lose today to a great Notre Dame team is no disgrace nor any shame. There’s heartache and disappointment in our locker room right now. That will pass and in true Maryland fashion, we’ll be back.”